Living The Dream Or So He Thought
by LaurenNicole97
Summary: This is my first story about the guys, so don't hate it please! They just arrived at the Palmwoods, ready to help James live his dream! But how does James feel about being in the spot light? Read and find out! Some angst, NO slash, just friendship!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Well here we are, apartment 2J. If you need anything, please feel free to ask me at the front desk. Have a Palm Woods day." Mr. Bitters tells the gang as they stumble in through the door, weighed down by their luggage. "Just don't need anything." He adds under his breath as he turned away.

Kendall, James, Carlos, Logan, Katie, and Mrs. Knight looked around their new home, ready to start a new life in Hollywood. Taking their bags, Katie and Mrs. Knight went to go find their rooms, leaving the boys to stare in awe at where they get to live.

"This is AMAZING!" Carlos exclaims excitedly, rapidly looking around the room. He couldn't take it anymore; he dropped his bags on the ground, smacked his helmet, and bolted across the room. The other guys couldn't help but laugh at how hyper and excitable Carlos could get. They knew he is just like a little kid at heart.

Logan, being the cautious person he is, carefully set his duffel bags on the floor, and walked around the kitchen. Kendall and James both sat down on the couch to rest after their long trip from Minnesota.

"So James, what do you think?" Kendall asked, with a tired yet happy look on his face.

"Oh, it's pretty great." James answered with a weak smile. Normally, Kendall would be very suspicious about this, but just assumed that James was tired and would perk up after a good night's sleep.

"Uh, yeah. Do you wanna come help figure out our sleeping arrangements? " Kendall questioned. He had seen Logan and Carlos checking out the bedrooms on the upper level.

"Sure. Who are you gonna bunk with?" James asked.

"Uhhh…I guess I'll share a room with Logan. Is it cool for you to be with Carlos?"

"Yeah, of course!" James responded with a smile. He was always closest with Carlos, so he didn't mind rooming with him. They picked up their bags and trudged up the stairs.

"Hey, Carlos, can I room with you?" James asked Carlos. He didn't know why he asked, he knew what the answer was.

"Uh, YEAH!" Carlos replied with his usual boundless energy.

_ That's the last time I'm ever giving Carlos a Pixie-Stick. _James thought to himself with a smile. The two best friends walked through the bedroom door on the left. They entered into a room with two beds next to each other with a nightstand in between, and a huge window that gave them a perfect view of the city. The walls were painted a light blue that matched the California sky, and there was a flat-screen T.V. mounted on the wall opposite to their beds.

"I call this one!" Carlos exclaimed, belly-flopping on the bed on the far side of the room. His helmet was now sitting crooked on top of his head.

"Go for it, Carlitos." James responded, setting his bags on the floor and sitting on his new bed.

Carlos banged on the wall behind him. "Kendall! Logie! Come over here!" He shouted.

The door slowly creaked open and Kendall and Logan popped into the room. Kendall tackled James, and Logan ran over and tackled Carlos. They were all laughing and having a great time, even James, which made Kendall happy because James seemed to be feeling better.

"BOYS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Mrs. Knight yelled, entering Carlos and James' room.

"Uhhh, nothing Mama Knight." Carlos replied with a sweet and innocent smile. Carlos rarely got in trouble because, being the youngest in the group, he was the baby and still had that sweet, childlike innocence to him. Mrs. Knight rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Well come into the kitchen, it's time for dinner."

"Ok, mom. We'll be right there." Kendall replied for the group as they untangled themselves and stood up. Logan straightened Carlos' helmet and James ran his lucky comb through his hair. They headed out the door and one-by-one slid down the swirly slide and stumbled into the kitchen, taking seats around the table where Katie was already seated at.

to be continued…;)

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** So guys, what did you think? It's my first story on FanFiction, so I'm not entirely sure if it's what you guys are looking to read. R&R please and tell me what you think:) **Oh yeah! The apartment is what it looked like after Big Time Crib, you know with the orange couch and the swirly slide. Just thought I'd clarify that.

~love~love~love~

~LaurenNicole


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Ok guys, who's hungry?" Mrs. Knights asks the gang as they take their seats at the table. The response she gets is a chorus of 'yes's' and she puts down a plate of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and a bowl of macaroni and cheese on the table.

"Yeah! Dinosaur chicken!" Carlos exclaimed, piling his plate with his favorite food.

"And here's some chocolate milk." Mrs. Knight added, carrying over a tray of cups. She had been a waitress back in Minnesota so she had plenty of experience serving food.

"Even better!" Carlos shouted, bouncing in his chair excitedly. Mrs. Knight put Carlos' cup down in front of him and dropped a green bendy-straw into it. She knew Carlos well enough to know that this was his favorite way to drink chocolate milk. He started to dig in to his dinner as the others filled their plates.

All was good until Carlos and Logan got into a dinosaur chicken battle and made the nuggets attack each other. Kendall ended up with a nugget in his chocolate milk and Katie had macaroni and cheese in her hair. Thankfully, dinner was over before any more damage could be done.

"Well, I'm taking a shower, and getting this stuff out of my hair." Katie announced as she walked into the bathroom.

"I'm gonna put on some T.V." Carlos decided as he plopped down on the bright orange sectional. He took the remote and flipped on Nickelodeon. It was an episode of Spongebob, Carlos' favorite show. Kendall, James, and Logan just shrugged and sat down next to their helmeted best friend. Every now and then, they would hear Carlos laugh at some ridiculous joke, but otherwise it was silent as he stared intently at the T.V. screen.

It was only 9:30 when Carlos first yawned, and by 9:45, he was ready for bed, exhausted from using up so much energy during the day. The other guys had to admit that they were tired too, so they turned off the T.V. and headed up to bed. When they got to the top of the stairs, they mumbled good nights and went their separate ways, Kendall and Logan to the right, James and Carlos to the left.

Once in their room, Logan and Kendall quickly threw on their pajamas and hopped into bed after Kendall turned out the light. Though it was dark, Kendall could make out Logan lying in bed, hugging a ragged stuffed dog to his chest. Kendall smiled, thinking about how when they were little, Logan would take that dog everywhere with him. Actually, he did this until he was about 10. They both slowly drifted into sleep.

In the room next door, James was already changed into his purple P.J pants and was tucked into his bed. He could feel Carlos staring at him and he turned over to look at him.

"Yes, Carlos?" James asked with a small smile.

"Ummm…Well…" Carlos mumbled, looking at his feet. His hands were behind his back. "James…" His voice trailed off. But he didn't have to say anything else. James knew what he was going to ask. They were best friends after all.

"Go ahead Carlos." James told him with an even bigger smile. Carlos saw the understanding look in his eyes, reminding him why they were such great friends.

"Thanks, James!" Carlos said happily. He pulled his hands out from behind his back, revealing a wall-plug-in night light. As long as he had known him, James knew that Carlos was terrified of the dark. Like at one sleepover, it had been storming and the power went out, Carlos literally broke down in tears and was curled up in the fetal position for 3 hours straight.

"No problem, man." James said back. Carlos hurried and plugged the light into the outlet next to his bed and flipped it on. He ran over, clicked off the light in the room, and flew back into his bed, his helmet still planted on his head. James silently laughed and closed his eyes, enveloping him in a restless slumber.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~

James' eyelids slowly fluttered open as sunlight streams through the window in his room. He yawned and rolled over to look at Carlos' empty bed. James wasn't surprised; Carlos usually woke up at around 6:30 every morning. _Guess I better get up too._ James thought tiredly. He threw his legs over the side of his bed and slowly stood up. He could smell pancakes, bacon, and turkey bacon before he even opened the door.

He slowly opened the door and walked out into the hall, dragging his feet with every step. He was even too tired to walk down the stairs, so he slid down the swirly slide and trudged over to the table. Everyone else was already there waiting for him to wake up and come down. And now that he was here, they all dug into the delicious breakfast that Mrs. Knight had made.

Kendall passed James the plate of turkey bacon. James refused to eat regular bacon, one, because he was Jewish, and it was against his religion, and two, he just thought it was so gross and unhealthy that he wouldn't eat it anyway.

"Thanks." James muttered as he yawned. Normally, James was pretty peppy in the morning, but he hadn't slept very well last night. _I'm just not used to sleeping in a new bed, that's all._ He kept telling himself. It's nothing. But what he didn't know is that it's only going to get worse.

_to be continued…_

** NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** so there we have it, chapter 2! Did ya like it, hate it? Urg! It's going to drive me crazy wondering what you guys think! But no pressure or anything! Just be honest! I can take it! So right now I have spring break for the rest of the week so I should be updating pretty frequently! But when I get back to school, I have rehearsals for the school musical and the ASK testing and stuff so I'll try my best! R&R and I'll update if you want me to!

~LaurenNicole


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: **I wanna thank vikwhis13 for being AMAZING! She wrote about my story in her authors' note, which was sooo nice! So, THANK YOU VIKWHIS13! I owe you a big one! This chapter is dedicated to vikwhis13! Enjoy!

~LaurenNicole

Kendall's phone vibrated as it sat on the coffee table in the living room. _KELLY_ appeared on the screen and he pressed the talk button.

"Ye-llow?… Uh-huh…Uh-huuuh…mhm…yeah…ok. See ya in a few. Bye, Kelly." Kendall finished his phone conversation. "That was Kelly at the studio. She wants us there right away to start our dance lesson. She said they sent a limo. It'll be here in about 15 minutes, so we gotta get ready."

The boys dispersed and got ready. They were done in about 13 minutes. They all ended up in the living room.

Logan was wearing a light blue button shirt, a dark blue argyle sweater vest, blue jeans, and white Vans. Carlos had on dark-wash blue jeans, a purple zip-up hoodie over a black and white t-shirt, black Vans, and of course his black hockey helmet. James was modeling his lucky white V-neck, black skinny jeans, and black Converse. Kendall was sporting a dark blue striped shirt, blue jeans, grey Vans, and his grey beanie-ski cap thing.

Katie walked in and gave them a once over. "All dressed up and somewhere to go?" She questioned, giving them a look of approval.

"Yeah, we gotta get down to the studio to see Gustavo." Logan answered with a sarcastic smile.

"Come on, guys. It won't be that bad!" Carlos reasoned with his usual enthusiasm. He felt that it was his job to keep the gangs' spirits up.

"Carlos is right, guys. This will be fun!" James chimed in, now his usual peppy self again. He was always in a better mood after coating himself in Cuda man-spray. He smiled that pearly white James Diamond smile that he was so famous for back in Minnesota.

"And James is right. Now we gotta go down and catch our ride." Kendall added. He leaned over and kissed Katie on the top of her head. "See ya later, baby sister." Katie smiled at hearing the nickname Kendall had given her. "Tell mom we'll be home around 4:30, ok?"

"Sure thing, big brother." Katie answered.

"Bye, Katie." Logan told her.

"See ya in a bit, Kat!" Carlos exclaimed, using his own special nickname for Katie.

"Bye, Kitten. See you soon." James said. James had always thought of Katie as his younger sister, so she deserved a cute nickname from him. Upon hearing this, Katie's face turned bright red. She had had a crush on James for as long as she could remember. All the guys knew this, but never said anything about it. They didn't wanna embarrass her. And James thought it was cute that Katie liked him. So he was always especially nice to her. Katie looked down at her shoes.

"Bye, guys. Have fun." She said quietly. She hoped they hadn't seen her blushing, but had a feeling they did.

"Well, let's go." Kendall told the guys, taking leadership. They followed in tow as he headed out the door and they piled into the elevator. Carlos and Logan got into a slap fight about half way down over an argument about who was going to sit where in the limo. James was running his lucky comb through his hair with a proud look on his face. Kendall just stood there and rolled his eyes.

After what seemed like an eternity, the elevator reached the lobby and the guys marched out. Once outside, they stared in awe at the white limo sitting in the parking lot waiting for them.

"Is this really for us?" Logan asked as he walked up closer to the vehicle. He ran his hand over the Rocque Records logo on the door.

"Hop in boys." The driver said, rolling down the front window.

"Uhhh…Ok!" Kendall replied opening the back door for his friends. One-by-one they climbed in and Kendall closed the door behind him. The four friends gazed around the inside of the limo, mouths ajar.

James was making himself comfortable on the soft leather seats. Carlos was checking out the fully-stocked mini fridge. Logan was admiring the view of Hollywood that rolled by through the tinted windows. Kendall just kicked back, enjoying the ride.

About 10 minutes later, they slowed to a stop in front of Rocque Records. They groaned as they stepped out of the air conditioned limo and into the California heat.

"Are you guys ready?" Kendall asked, taking his eyes off of the huge building looming over them to look at the others.

"Uhhh…yeah, I think so." James was the only one who answered. Carlos and Logan were just looking at the building. _Oh no, not again._ Kendall thought to himself, noticing that James seemed out of it._ I gotta figure out what's wrong with him._

"Well, let's get in there before Gustavo explodes or something." Kendall said, trying to get a laugh out of James. He settles for the weak, half-hearted smile he gets in response.

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** Ahahahaha! Suspense! Sorry guys, but I just had to do it! I'll update as soon as I can, and you'll all find out what's bothering James! So R&R, because I wanna hear what you think is going on! Thanks again for all the constructive criticism! It's really great to see that people are actually reading my story and they want me to update! Thank you all so much! Again, I'm sorry! Ps- sorry for the paragraph that only says what each guy is wearing. I just wanted you to know what they looked like…;)

~LaurenNicole


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** Ok, so I just wanna point out, that you guys are AMAZING! Thank you guys sooo much for the great reviews! I would like to point out that **BTRlover98** left some great reviews for all my chapters! Yes, I love dinosaur chicken and macaroni and cheese as well:) **vikwhis13:** I'm really glad you like the story:)** Rockport268:** I'm sorry! But I love the suspense! I'll try to reveal the problem as soon as I can! (_hint hint!_ **Chapter 4?**;) So thank you all! *Oh yeah, I was watching Big Time Guru on YouTube, and when I got to the end, I just kept playing the last part over and over and over! It was like this: Logan~ And I can get all the swagger I need from this little pair of shades. James~ Feeling woozy…*faints* Logan~ OK, ok! No shades! James~ *pops up, smiling* Kendall~ *Devious look, lifts glasses to Logan's face* James~ *faints* …HILARIOUSLY CUTE! Hahah sorry, I HAD to put that in there…:) OK, let's get to that story!

"DOGS! It took you long enough to get here! Now this is Mr. X." Gustavo said, gesturing to the long haired man wearing a glimmering gold vest standing next to him. "HE will be training you in the art of dance, so you don't look stupid when you are performing on stage!"

"Hey." Logan, Kendall, and Carlos said to Mr. X. James just gave him a small wave.

"Ok boys, let's get started! And before you know it, you will be X-TRODINARY!" Mr. X told the four boys enthusiastically. "But first, we must stretch!"

So the guys did about 5 minutes of warm-up stretches, like they did before they'd play hockey back home. After some jumping jacks, and a sit-up or two, the gang was ready to dance.

"Now, mirror my moves. FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT! And one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one and spin, NOW!" Mr. X instructed. The boys followed along and did the steps exactly like he did. And then came the spin. Kendall did it perfectly, as did Logan and Carlos. James, however, was a different story.

"Ahhh!" James cried out in agony. He had twisted his ankle attempting the spin, and was now sprawled out on the floor.

"James? Oh, God man, are you ok?" Carlos screamed out in panic. He never could handle situations like this very well.

"Yeah, Carlos, I'm fine." James' face scrunched up in pain as he attempted to stand up. "Uhhh!" He screamed through gritted teeth in a strained voice.

"James, don't move. That'll only make it worse." Logan told James in a surprisingly calm voice. "Just stay there. Kendall, can you and Mr. X try to find a first aid kit? Carlos, I need you to bring that chair over here." He added, gesturing to the chair in the corner. Kendall and Mr. X went off in search of a first aid kit. Carlos hurriedly dragged the chair over to Logan and James. The two smaller boys carefully helped James up into the chair.

"Ok, James. Tell me if this hurts." Logan instructed, in full-on doctor mode. He gingerly touched the side of James' ankle with two fingers. James uttered a noise that sounded vaguely like a newborn puppy, like a small squeak in his throat. "I guess it hurts. Now James, on a scale from 1 to 10, how bad does it hurt?"

"Ummm, like a 13." James responded. "It really hurts, Logie." He added that last part quietly, embarrassed at his almost helpless state.

James had been, for as long as the guys had known him, a very proud and independent person. He didn't like getting help from others unless he was really desperate. James liked getting attention, but not that kind of attention. He didn't want anyone to think of him as weak.

"I know, James. It doesn't look like it's broken. It's probably just a bad sprain. But I'm not taking any chances. Now where did Kendall and Mr. X get to?" Logan wondered out loud. As if on cue, Kendall and Mr. X burst through the door to the dance studio.

"Logan…we…got…the…first aid…kit!" Kendall said through deep breathes. It was obvious that they had been running around like crazy looking for that first aid kit. Mr. X handed the small red plastic box to Logan, out of breathe as well.

"Thanks." Logan popped open the box and started rummaging through it. He pulled out a rolled up Ace bandage. He unraveled it and gently wrapped it around James' slightly swollen ankle. He winced in pain as Logan layered on the bandage. He secured it with a medal clips, and handed James an icepack to hold onto his ankle.

Kendall decided that now was the perfect time to get to the bottom of this. There was no possible way for James to walk away, so he had to answer him. "Ummm, guys. I think you should go get Gustavo and let him know what happened." Kendall told the others.

"Uhhh…ok." Carlos answered. He could tell by the look on Kendall's' face that he needed them to go, but he wasn't sure why. "Let's go find him." Kendall said nothing, but Carlos could see the gratitude in his eyes as they walked out the door. The second the door shut, Kendall went into police interrogation mode.

"Ok, James. WHAT IS UP WITH YOU?" Kendall yelled, startling James, who had just been sitting there quietly, holding the ice to his ankle.

"Wh-what do you mean?" James questioned in a small voice, like a toddler who was being scolded.

"You know what I mean, James! You haven't been yourself ever since we've gotten to L.A. And since when does James Diamond fall? You're probably the most coordinated out of the four of us! Now I'm going to ask you again, what's wrong, James?" Kendall shouted again. He was going to get an answer one way or another.

"I, I don't know." James croaked out. His tan cheeks were slowly turning a rosy red color as he looked up into Kendall's concerned green eyes. Warm tears slowly began streaming down his face as he turned away with shame.

"James, look at me." Kendall pleaded, now softening his voice in an attempt to calm down his friend. "I know that you DO know what the problem is. Please tell me. I can help, but only if you tell me."

James sighed and took in a shaky breathe. "Kendall, what if, what if I'm not good enough?" He bit his lip, wishing he could take back the words that had just escaped his quivering lips.

Kendall blinked and shot his friend a confused look. _Since when is James Diamond afraid of not being good enough?_ "Since when are YOU afraid of not being good enough?" Kendall asked, voicing his thoughts. It just didn't make sense to him.

"Kendall, what's going on?" Carlos asked cautiously. Kendall hadn't noticed that he and Logan had walked back into the room. He looked at Carlos' young and innocent face, and he knew he couldn't tell him anything but the truth.

"Carlos, I need your help. Do you think James is a good singer?" Kendall asked confused Carlos. He knew how he was going to convince James that he was talking crazy.

"Of course! He's one of the best singers I've ever heard!" Carlos answered honestly. Kendall smiled; he knew that Carlos would tell the truth.

"And Logie, do YOU think that James is a good singer?" Kendall questioned the raven haired boy standing next to Carlos.

"Yeah! Who doesn't think that James is a good singer?" Answered Logan, asking a question of his own.

"Exactly!" Kendall exclaimed. He turned to James, who still had traces of his tears on his face. "So James, what so you think after hearing that? Your three best friends saying that you ARE good enough to be here. What does that tell you?"

Kendall got no answer. The three boys stood there in silence, when they heard a soft whimper. At once, they all looked over at their injured friend, to find him staring at the ground. A single tear dripped off his tan face, and dropped onto the wooden floor.

Logan leaned over to Kendall. "Dude, what's this about? What's wrong with James?" Logan inquired with hint of concern in his whispering voice. Carlos just nodded in agreement. Kendall gestured for the two boys to come with him over into the corner.

"Ok, you guys probably won't believe me, but James is feeling really insecure right now. He's beating himself up and telling himself that he's not good enough." Upon seeing the looks on their faces showing that they understand, he continued. "That's why he tripped. He wasn't in it. He kept thinking that it wasn't worth it to try, so he didn't." Carlos and Logan simultaneously glanced over at their friend. James was still looking at the floor. He brought his hand up to his face and wiped his eyes, but other than that, he was motionless.

"Awww. Why didn't he tell us?" Carlos asked with a sad look on his face. He was upset that he hadn't seen that his friend acting weird earlier. He and James had been best friends since they were five and six. They lived next door to each other and were friends before either of them had met Logan or Kendall.

"Carlos, its James. Why would he tell us? You know he doesn't like people to worry about him." Logan answered. "He's too proud to admit that he's scared."

"I guess you're right." Carlos said, looking at the ground. He looked over at James again. "Hey, James."

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** Sorry! More suspense! At least you guys know what's been bugging him! But you'll have to wait to find out how the gang's gonna handle it! MWAHAHAHA! So R&R! Please? PLEASE? I need to know what you guys think! Oh, by the way! I've been PMing vikwhis13 and we both agree that Scott Fellows should hold a contest where fans could submit an idea for an episode or for a BTR movie. What do you guys think? Tell me in the reviews! Also, I think you should check out vikwhis13s' story 'Road to the Rockies' if you haven't already! It's so awesome! Ok? Ok! Until next time!

~LaurenNicole


	5. Please Read This

Sorry about this…

Ok everybody. I'm sorry that this isn't a new chapter to my story 'Living the Dream or so he thought'. I'll update that as soon as I can. I would just like to use this as a way to reply to an anonymous reviewer, 'from an expert'. In my second chapter, I wrote that James wouldn't eat regular bacon because it went against his religion. I will admit that I am not an "expert" on the subject. I only said that, 1. Because I know that in real life, the actor who plays James Diamond ~James Maslow~ is Jewish; and 2. Because my friend Brooke is Jewish, and her family doesn't eat regular bacon, only turkey bacon.

I apologize if my facts were incorrect, and if I offended anybody. I honestly didn't know. But I am not going to change my story, because I have explained my reasoning behind why I wrote it. Again I apologize, and I will try to be more aware of what I'm writing from this point on. Thank you.

~LaurenNicole


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE:** Hey guys! Sorry about that little notice-thing I threw in there! I just needed to put that out there because I couldn't send it as a private message to the reviewer because it was anonymous. Please forgive me! I meant no offense to anyone! Honest! Great, now people will be mad at me…Oh well, I guess I'll update anyways…

"Yeah, Carlos?" James answered his helmeted friend, not looking up from the floor. He had stopped crying, but his entire body was shaking.

"James, why didn't you talk to me?" Carlos asked his best friend with a pained look on his innocent face.

"Carlos, please…" James whispered, his voice trailing off. He couldn't bring himself to look at Carlos' face. James knew that Carlos was confused as to why he didn't tell him about what was bothering him. They had always trusted each other with everything.

"James! Why didn't you tell me?" Carlos said in response, almost hysterically. Tears were now rolling down his face. He never told anyone, but he thought of James as his older brother. Especially when his real older brother moved out. James filled the void Carlos felt in his heart. He looked up to James, and he didn't understand why he didn't tell him how he was feeling.

"Carlos, buddy, calm down. Just relax." Kendall told the crying boy in a soothing voice. He knew that Carlos could get worked up pretty easily, and he didn't want things to get too out of hand. "Carlos, please."

Carlos just completely ignored Kendall. His face was turning red and his knees were shaking. In less than three minutes, Carlos had gone from being a concerned friend to an emotional wreck. Tears glistened on his face, and his fists were clenched so hard, his knuckles were turning white. Logan, who had been extremely calm this whole time, was now scared.

"Carlos, come with me." Logan told the sobbing boy softly. Carlos turned to look at him. He closed his eyes and nodded, not saying a word. The two boys exited the studio silently. Logan glanced at Kendall with a look that said 'I got Carlos, you get James.' Kendall nodded sternly in response and Logan closed the door.

"James, I just, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do." Kendall told James quietly. "Can you tell me what to do?" He asked simply.

"Kendall, I'm sorry. I'm really sorry." James answered. "I didn't want anything like this to happen. It's all my fault, and now Carlos is freaking out because of me. Kendall, why did we even come here? No, why did I even come? You guys would be so much better off without me ruining everything." He added, now crying again.

"Ok, Carlos. It's ok. Calm down, please." Logan pleaded with his friend. They were now in the hallway outside the studio. Carlos was sitting with his back against the wall and his knees were pulled up to his chest. Logan couldn't see his face, but he was sure that Carlos was crying. His face was buried in his knees, and he was breathing deeply, body quivering each time he inhaled.

"Logie, why? Why didn't he talk to me? Didn't he think I could have helped him? Didn't he trust me?" Carlos asked in a hoarse voice. Hearing this almost broke Logan's heart. He knew that Carlos admired James like he admired his father.

"Carlos, I-I don't know. I think he didn't want you to worry about him." Logan answered, now holding back tears of his own. He was hoping that Carlos would believe him. Honestly, he didn't really know why James was bottling everything up.

Carlos looked up at Logan with his big brown eyes that could melt a snow man. "I want to talk to him."

X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X|~|X

"James, how long has this been going on?" Kendall asked with curiosity.

"I guess ever since we found out that we were coming here. I mean if you really think about it, what are the chances that we'll actually make it? We're just 4 kids from Minnesota. We have NO experience whatsoever! How could you actually think that we would get anywhere?" James yelled. He wasn't exactly yelling AT Kendall, he was just yelling. He needed to get out all his pent-up anger and frustration.

"James," Kendall started off, in a calm tone. "Wasn't it you who always told us to follow our hearts? Wasn't it you who told Carlos not to give up when he couldn't score a goal during hockey practice? Wasn't it you who cheer Logan up when he brought home a B on his Spanish test?"

"Yea, but-" James started.

"No buts, James. I just don't understand."

"I was afraid I was going to let you guys down." James admitted, almost inaudibly. His face burned as he glanced at Kendall. Kendall looked back at James with a look of confusion. He raised his eyebrows, signaling for James to continue.

"Well,"

NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: Ahahahaha! Sorry, more suspense! I'm sorry! I'm having some MAJOR writers block…What can I say, I really didn't like this chapter. Hopefully the next one will be better.

Anyways, if you haven't already seen it, I'm holding an Original Character Contest! Check it out on my stories page, PLEASE? I already have 3 really great submissions! But if you do submit something, remember: Please send in your submissions by **PRIVATE MESSAGE!** The entries that I have already received were sent by review. That's perfectly ok. The only reason that I request that it's by PM is because I don't want anybody's ideas being taken. It's up to you either way:) Remember, the deadline is midnight on **MAY 4****TH****!** So please send something in! Read the rules for submitting and PLEASE submit something! So far, all 3 submissions are for one of the two older girls, and I have nothing submitted for the younger girl! So help a girl out and get to thinking! Thanks doll:)

**Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask you guys this: Which songs do you think best show off each member's voice? Like which song makes Carlos sound good, Logan, James, and Kendall? Answer in the reviews:) Thank ya kindly:)

~LaurenNicole


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: Hey! How've ya been? Wow, lame opening. hahaha wow this is awkward now…hahah… so anyways, I started my OC story!:) *applause in the background* idk when that'll be up, so bear with me. My new one-shot for "Moments of Carlos Garcia" is still a work in progress, and I keep switching from one to another to another. Probably not the best strategy…;)

"You know how my parents are divorced?" James asked, sighing. Kendall nodded. "Well my dad never thought I could sing. He NEVER told me that I sounded good, ever. One of the last things he told me was that I need to get my head out of the clouds, and into the real world."

"But James, we think you can sing! We never told you to give up!" Kendall argued. He caught himself. He didn't need to yell, he just needed to let James explain.

"I know, but no matter how hard I tried to impress my dad, it never worked! Why should I believe that people who I have NEVER met would think I'm good if my own father didn't?" James was now fighting back tears that were threatening to spill over at any second. His explanation was tugging at Kendall's heartstrings. He held in his tears and clenched his fists.

"James, I-I'm sorry. I didn't know." Kendall apologized quietly. He felt guilty now for yelling earlier. He had no idea about any of this.

"It's ok. You weren't supposed to know. But-" James was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yeah?" He called in the direction of the door. It slowly creaked open, and Logan's head poked in.

"Ummm…Can we come in?" Logan asked timidly.

"Sure." James answered before Kendall could protest. Logan slowly entered the room with Carlos in tow. He was breathing deeply and his lower lip was quivering. The sleeves of his sweatshirt and the knees of his jeans were stained with tears. James bit his lip. He didn't want any of this to happen.

"Hey, James." Carlos croaked in a hoarse voice. He sniffled and hiccupped quietly. This made it even harder for James to face Carlos. He still had this child-like innocence about him that made James kick himself whenever he did something that hurt Carlos even the slightest bit.

"Hi, Carlos. Carlos?" James responded. He brought his head up and took in the sight of Carlos standing there. He held his breath, thinking about what he was going to say. He knew the two words he needed to get out. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, James." Is all that Carlos said. He looked at James with his big eyes. They were youthful and bright, but serious at the same time. And they were overflowing with forgiveness. He wasn't mad at James, or disappointed in him. He didn't know what the problem was, but he knew that he didn't NEED to know. James would tell him when he was ready.

James, who was still unable to stand due to his injury, held his arms out to Carlos, who met him and a hug. Carlos smiled and tears were sliding down his cheeks again. James was doing the exact same thing. Kendall and Logan shared a look that read "I think we did it." They smiled too and joined Carlos and James in a big group hug.

The studio door burst open and Gustavo stomped in. Kelly was right behind him, trying to keep him calm. The guys glanced up at them, but made no move to release each other.

"DOGS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Gustavo yelled in a commanding voice. Kendall, being the leader of the group, was the one to pull away and answer.

"WE are comforting our friend. What are YOU doing?" Kendall rebutted with a devious smirk.

"I'M trying to figure out why my dogs aren't learning how to dance! Why aren't you learning how to dance?" Gustavo screamed in Kendall's face.

James spoke up. "It's my fault, Gustavo. I tripped and twisted my ankle. The guys were just making sure I was ok." Before Gustavo could continue on his rampage, Kelly cut in.

"Well are you ok, James?" She asked, concerned. Unlike Gustavo, she actually cared about the boys.

"Uhhh, I think so." James answered. He held onto Carlos' and Logans' shoulders and attempted to stand up. He squealed in agony and sat back down. "Uhhh, never mind."

"Ok, well let's get you some crutches. That way you'll at least be able to stand up." Kelly sighed. She left for a few minutes and came back with two metal crutches. She gave them to Logan who helped James stand up on them.

"Thanks." James said with gratitude, now able to stand.

"Well now that we can all stand on our own two feet, how about we ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING?" Gustavo said, screaming again.

X~X~X~X

NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: Sorry it's been a while since I've updated! I've been swamped with 5:20 rehearsals, but we finished the musical! So now I won't be staying after late until the 24th, when I start talent show rehearsals. Woah, am I busy or what? Hahah anyways I didn't really care for this chapter. It just seemed rushed and it didn't flow. Tell me what ya think in the reviews? Thanks, doll:) oh yeah! Please check out my awesome friend Ruby Grand's stories! She writes about Twilight, Tuck Everlasting, and The Secret Garden! She's very talented so check her out:)Sorry I'm not writing anything for "I'm Not Sick" or my "OC Story"…I'M SORRY! Like I've said, I've been busy! But at least I've got this! Oh yeah! A special thanks to vikwhis13 for tweeting with me all day! And for her AMAZING support! So go read her story "Road to the Rockies" like RIGHT NOW! Please and thank you!:) Hmmm… I think that is all for now! Until next time!

~LaurenNicole


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: It's so much fun updating! Sadly, this story is coming to an end:( I've been wanting to stretch it out as long as I can, but I'm afraid if I stretch it any farther, it'll break! Like a rubber band! _Stretching out this rubber band, Girl Scout cookie in my hand! _Sorry, but I LOVE that parody of Friday! It's better than the original!:D In my opinion of course! Heehee! So if you've been checking out vikwhis13's stuff (which you should be!) you would know that we were having a little bet over a baseball game. Well guess who won! Me! That's who!:) So go read her new one-shot "Palmwoods Picture Day"! I got to request the topic! Yaaay me!:) Anyways, on with the chapter!

"Like what?" James asked, now standing on the crutches beside his friends.

"Well we could, I don't know, SING?" Gustavo yelled, like it was ridiculous that he hadn't thought of that, even considering how flustered he was after what had just happened.

"Uhhh, ok then! Let's go!" Carlos exclaimed enthusiastically. On the outside, he was his normal, bubbly self, but on the inside, he was still upset and worried about his friend. He did a good job hiding it, because the others didn't seem to catch on.

"Ok, while you dogs were messing around, I actually got something done!" Gustavo screamed at the boys through the microphone. They were set up in the recording booth, ready to have their first try at singing. "Just look at the lyrics, and try not to mess this up!" The guys looked at each other and shrugged. The music started and they sang their parts.

_If we never flew, we would never fall. If the world was ours, we would have it all…_

"Good, dogs." Gustavo "praised" when they finished.

"You guys can leave now. Good job with the song." Kelly announced. Gustavo rolled his eyes and nodded, annoyed. The two exited the door of the studio, leaving the four boys to gather their things to leave. They walked back to the dance studio and packed their gym bags. Well Carlos helped James pack his. They all went to leave the room together, but Carlos stopped in front of James, keeping him from exiting.

"Uhhh, I forgot something, guys. I'll be right there." Carlos told Kendall and Logan. They nodded and continued down the hallway. Carlos turned around and closed the door, leaving him and James together. "James, you don't have to, but could you tell me now?" Carlos asked, now taking on a serious but loving and concerned tone.

"What?" James asked, trying to get out of the conversation.

"James." Carlos whined. He took in a deep breathe. "What happened? Why were you crying?"

"It-it's hard to explain." James made up an excuse. He really didn't want to have to explain again.

"Okay." Carlos replied understandingly. He knew that when he was ready, James would tell him what the problem was. "James?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ok?" Carlos asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm ok." James smiled softly. "Don't worry."

"Are you sure?" Carlos looked up at James with big eyes.

"Positive. I promise." James answered truthfully. He knew that if he needed to talk, Carlos would be there to listen. And he knew that if he didn't want to talk, Carlos would understand. Carlos smiled.

"Okay. And James?" Carlos had a sparkle in his eyes.

"Hmmm?" James responded.

"Watch where you're falling next time, you almost knocked me over!" Carlos joked. The two shared a laugh. It felt good to laugh. With all of the stress and anxiety they had been feeling about coming to L.A., they needed a release. They needed a way to get away from all of the pressure that was on them, even after only their first day of rehearsal. But no matter how tough things got, James knew that his friends were there for him and they all had each other's backs. And they would stop at nothing to help James live his dream.

NOTES FROM LAUREN NICOLE: OMG! I can't believe my story is over! This story was the first one I ever put on FanFiction, and I was so scared that nobody would like it. But all of you guys have been AMAZING! Like seriously, your support is unbelievable! I would like to thank vikwhis13 for being my first ever reviewer, and for being my new internet-best friend. We have tweeted each other for the longest periods of time, and talked about the randomest things! I would like to thank Rockport268 for leaving great reviews! BTRlover98, thank you too for the fabulous reviews! CheekyBrunette, your reviews made me smile! Anonymous Skrtle, your reviews were fantastic too! And even my anonymous review from "an expert", although I was a little saddened by that, thank you for letting me know that what I wrote was incorrect. And to everybody and anybody else that reviewed, thank you so much! I love you all so much! And everyone who read this story, thank you all! I really hope everyone liked this. I had the best time writing this, and had so much fun freaking out every time I got a review. Sorry if the end was a little cheesy, but who doesn't love a cheesy ending? So once again, thank you all! I'm so grateful to have such amazing supporters!

~love~love~love~

~LaurenNicole


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